Blood Allegiances
by Saerry Snape
Summary: Begins during Season Two before episode What's My Line, Part One. Xander gets a letter about a relative who's in trouble and everything starts going downhill from there...
1. chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it! If I did, I would be making money. _/opens wallet and moths fly out_/ No money. No ownie.**  
**

**Chapter 1**

_The Harris Home_

_Sunnydale, California_

_Between November 10-17, 1997_

Alexander 'Xander' LaVelle Harris was sitting in his parent's basement on his bed, his legs crossed underneath him and a multitude of metal pieces, pipes, and springs laid out in front of him. He stared at them for a moment then rubbed a hand along the side of his face, closing his eyes.

"Crap."

He then picked up one metal piece and hefted in his hand for a moment before he started collecting others in the pile. In a matter of minutes the 9 millimeter Glock was back together and he stared at it as though it where a bomb about to explode.

"Crap," he repeated.

It was a matter of weeks since the incident at Halloween with Ethan Rayne and his precious chaos magic. And after having nearly taken off his mother's head when she'd drunkenly stumbled into his back after he'd snuck in from a patrol with Buffy, he had become a tad bit suspicious. When he'd managed to sneak into the local military base and steal the Glock as well as a tactical shotgun that was currently stored under his bed alongside a small submachine gun, he'd gotten worried. Now that he had taken apart the Glock and put it back together perfectly for the fifth time in an hour, he was downright terrified.

Well, not completely terrified. It was kinda cool to think that some of the soldier he'd been possessed by over Halloween had been left over. Though it reminded him of the piece of the hyena pack leader that had been left behind and then it became the kind of cool that's not.

Xander sighed and laid the Glock down on his bed, pressed his elbows against his knees, and leaned on his forearms with chin cupped in both hands. Brown eyes stared at the gun sitting in front of him for a long moment then he closed his eyes, shaking his head.

At least this time the weird things happening to him weren't horrendously life changing. Now when he was nine and the Event had happened…now _that_ was horrendously life changing. Not like finding out Buffy was the Slayer and then having to kill his best friend besides Willow but in the same category.

Absently he reached out and picked up the gun, wondering where he could go to test his shooting skills. Nowhere nearby was applicable and the only person he knew to go to to learn to use a gun was in Chicago. And was likely working his ass off, as usual.

Sighing, he fell back onto his bed then rolled over to stuff the Glock into a box under his bed when the basement door opened. He continued the roll off the bed, landing lightly, and blinked when his mother came down the stairs. For one of the first times that he could recall, she looked perfectly sober – and the strain from it was evident on her face.

"This came for you," she said shortly, extending her arm towards him. An envelope was held in her fist and he looked at it for a moment before taking it.

"Uh, thanks, Mom."

Jessica Harris just nodded and turned to go back upstairs, likely going to start getting very unsober with a bottle of Jack Daniels. Xander frowned and looked down at the letter, reading the sole address on the front. His eyes widened and he called out to his mother just as she reached the door.

"Mom!"

She turned and looked at him, one hand on the doorknob.

"What is it?"

"How'd this get here? There's no return address, so it couldn't have come in the mail. Especially not since it's Sunday." Xander paled then and stammered, "Its…its…"

Jessica nodded and said solemnly, "Its from _them_. Your father just got rid of the beast that brought it." With that she disappeared into the house, leaving Xander alone in his basement bedroom. He stared at the closed door for a moment before staggering back over to his bed and hurriedly sitting down.

The envelope in his hands worried him. It had been five years since he'd gotten a letter like this and he'd turned them down then. What they'd want with him now that he was seventeen and years too old for what they had originally asked, escaped him.

With shaking hands, he opened the envelope and pulled out the piece of parchment inside, carefully unfolding it.

_Alexander LaVelle Harris,_

_You have been summoned by Attorney Gray Lancaster on behalf of one Severus Alexander Snape for his trial concerning the murder of one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, former Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The trial is set for January 14 of the year 1998 at the Ministry of Magic Headquarters in Diagon Alley located in London, England._

_If you do not have the means to come, contact one Rupert Giles. He has been informed that you may seek his aid and will be able to make sure you arrive safely for the trial._

_Sincerely,_

_Gray Lancaster_

_Attorney at Law_

Xander blinked down at the letter for a moment, letting the words settle in. Then he leapt to his feet in shock as he realized what the heck was going on.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…Giles knows! Giles knows that I'm…crap…and Uncle Sev is on trial and…and…oh God."

He sank back down onto his bed and buried his head in his hands, the letter crinkling against his scalp. Just as he was starting to get a hold of himself again, there was a knock against his door.

"Alex?" he heard his mother call. "There's a man on the phone for you."

_Crap._

"Uh…" Xander sighed and tossed the letter onto his bed, standing up once again. He had to practically force himself to leave the basement and enter the house above – and not only because he knew instinctively that it was Giles on the phone. His parents home smelt of too much booze and cigarettes for his nose, which had become a hell of a lot more sensitive since his hyena possession. "Where's the phone?"

Jessica pointed towards the doorway into the kitchen and Xander walked in to find the cordless phone sitting on the counter. He gingerly picked it up and held it to his ear, saying, "Hey, G-man."

There was a pause at the other end of the line then Giles said, "I won't even bother asking how you knew I was calling."

"Feeling."

He could practically see Giles cleaning his glasses in his mind's eye and Xander winced as the man spoke.

"Indeed," said the librarian in clipped tones. "Now…would you mind telling me why I just got a letter from the British Ministry of Magic informing me that you need transport to England to take part in a captured felon's trial?"

"Can we not talk about it over the phone?" asked Xander, glancing over at his shoulder towards his mother. She was sitting on the threadbare couch watching a rather sappy old movie with a bottle of Jack on the table beside her and a full shot glass in her hand. He really didn't want to have this conversation near her or his father as neither looked very highly on the fact that he was by technical means a wizard. "Or anywhere near my house?"

Giles was silent for a moment then said, "I'll come pick you up."

"Twenty minutes?"

"Yes," said Giles shortly and then the line went dead. Xander pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it numbly for a moment before turning it off and placing it back on the counter. He then crept back down into his room and grabbed a ragged blue-jean jacket off the back of a chair. A stake, a bottle of holy water, and a small silver cross were tucked into various inside pockets of the coat then he bent and pulled the box out from under his bed. He dug out the Glock and turned the safety on before sliding a loaded clip into it and slipping another into the pocket with the stake. The gun was stuffed into the back of his jeans as he shoved the box back under his bed with a foot and mounted the stairs into the house again.

As he walked outside towards Giles' rusted Citroen, he wondered how his life could get any worse. When he entered the car and the librarian drove off, he discovered how much worse it could be.

"Are you trained?" asked Giles as he drove, his eyes focused on the road in front of him. Xander winced at the tone of man he looked up to as a father figure and shook his head.

"No," he replied softly. "Got an offer but turned it down. Wills and Jess needed me here, not a coupl'a states away at a school learning magic."

Giles frowned and they rode in silence for a moment before he spoke again.

"What's your relation to Severus?"

"You know him?"

"He was a first year when I was in sixth," replied Giles softly, almost reminiscently. His voice gained steel as he asked again, "What is your relation to him?"

Xander looked at the librarian then turned towards the window.

"He's my uncle," he replied after a moment. "Him and my dad, they're half brothers. Grandfather Harris apparently had a relationship with Uncle Sev's mom when he was in England and nine months later came Dad. She left him with Granddad and just vanished, not leaving a trace behind. Dad didn't even know till Uncle Sev contacted us when I was about seven."

Giles blinked.

"Severus contacted you?"

"Despite the reputation he tries to uphold as downright bastard, he's a good guy," said Xander, his mouth twisted into a sneer oddly reminiscent of his uncle. "He used to visit every once in a while but that stopped once the war heated up. Hell, he stopped writing around then too." The teenager frowned and muttered, "Guess that was because of this mess he seems to have dropped himself into."

The librarian snorted as he stopped for a red light and said, "It is a bit more than a simple mess, Xander. He killed Albus Dumbledore with an _Avada Kedavra_ right in front of Harry Potter."

Brown eyes flashed and something in them seemed to snap.

"I don't give a flying fuck about what he did!" snarled Xander viciously. "He's my uncle, my _blood_. And even though Mom and Dad are no prize and most wouldn't consider him much of one either, he's the only person that's ever really given a rat's ass about me excepting my cousin. I'm not saying killing someone is a good thing but I get the distinct feeling that we don't have all the pieces of the puzzle here!"

"Cousin?"

"Lives in Chicago and works most of the time so I don't get to talk to him much. And he's got nothing to do with this conversation."

Giles sighed and looked out the windshield for a moment at the road. He then spoke again in a gentle voice.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you," he apologized. "It's just…it's been a long time since I've heard anything about Severus."

"No prob, G-man," said Xander with a shake of his head. He frowned as he added, "I'm just as worried about him as you are."

"Severus can take care of himself. We both know that."

"Against Voldemort and a school full of magical kiddies," spat the teenager. "Not up against a self-righteous Ministry and the death of a man that left too many questions unanswered. I'm fairly certain they had this planned."

Giles turned to stare at him in shock and nearly plowed into the back end of a pickup truck. After swerving around it, he pulled into an empty lot and turned off the Citroen's engine.

"Are you suggesting," he said as he looked at his passenger, "that Dumbledore planned his own death?"

Xander nodded in response and Giles asked, "Why?"

"First off, Moldywart's didn't trust Uncle Sev with much after he went back to his spying. And what better way to get back into the crazy dude's good graces than to kill the leader of the opposition?"

"What's your second point?"

"Force the Potter kid into growing up real fast. Also rescuing the godkid, though that was probably all Uncle Sev's gig, not the old man's."

The librarian frowned for a moment then asked, "How did you know about Draco?"

Xander rolled his eyes in response to that.

"Puh-lease," he drawled. "I'm Uncle Sev's personal confidant – y'know, what with the fact that probably only three people connected to the magical world know I exist and am related to him. The Hellmouth screws with the vibes, y'know. And anyone else connected to that hip place think I'm just a snappy Muggleborn. Heh. Think they'd be pissing themselves to know they had a nice chat with the happy murderer's nephew?"

"Cut back on the sarcasm just a hair," suggested Giles. "You're starting to lay it on a mite thick."

The teenager winced and said, "Sorry. Stress makes me incessantly sarcastic. I've had a bit too much of it today."

"Did something else happen?"

"Eh, nothing to worry about, G-man. I've got it all under control."

Giles looked skeptical at this then shrugged and started up the Citroen again, moving it back into traffic. As they continued the drive towards his home, he said, "You do realize I'll be coming with you to England, correct?"

Xander grinned in response to that and said, "And how else would I get around the merry old land of tweed?"

The librarian grumbled something about children not respecting their elders these days to which Xander shot a raspberry in response. A scolding followed it, which resolved into the two of them having an argument about whether to fly or taking wizarding travel and what to tell Buffy and Willow and the oily wretch that was Snyder whilst trading tales about the deeds of one Severus Snape.

And for a little while they managed to forget that they were going to England because of said wizard's murder charge.

**Author's Note**

I'm using the correct Harry Potter dates (via the HP Lexicon) and the airdates of Buffy (in a vague manner) as my references for time in this fic. In the Buffyverse, this is after _The Dark Age_ and before _What's My Line, Part One_ in season 2. In the HPverse, it's book seven timeline and things with Voldemort are coming to a head.


	2. chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it! If I did, I would be making money. _/opens wallet and moths fly out_/ No money. No ownie.**  
**

**Chapter 2**

_The Ministry of Magic London, England_

_November 24, 1997_

"Hey, murderer! Visitor's for yah!"

"Tell them they can bloody well turn around and go back up the steps if they're Potter or any of his posse," snarled a bedraggled Severus Snape from the floor of his cell in the lowest floor of the Ministry in response to the Auror's jibe. He then was startled onto his feet by the voice that responded to his harsh statement.

"Why, Unc," said a shadowy figure as it entered the single cell room he was being held in, "is that any way to greet your favorite nephew? I mean, calling me Potter…I think I should be insulted."

Xander stepped into full view of his uncle's gaze and smiled, continuing, "C'mon, would a Potter have my stunning good looks?"

Severus stared at him for a moment before reaching one arm through the bars of his cell. The teenager stepped forward and the two embraced through the cold steel that held him captive. As they pulled back, the elder male took a moment to look at his nephew. He was taller than he remembered and a bit more filled out but there was also a darkness lingering underneath the cheerful visage the young man kept up to hide his true feelings and unhappy family life. The pair of robes he was wearing over jeans and a dark sweater also didn't go unnoticed.

"Where did you get robes?" he asked, finally regaining his voice. "And drop the mask, boy. There's no point in hiding in front of me and you know it."

The mask wavered for a moment, allowing him to glance his nephew's nervousness and worry for a split second. Xander then shook his head and said, "No can do, Unc. If we were on our lonesome without the Watchdog's wandering about you know I'd do it in a heartbeat. And as to the robes…well, I brought a little company. Hope you don't mind."

Severus frowned then nearly had a heart attack when he looked over his nephew's shoulder and into the eyes of a man he'd never thought he'd see again.

"Dear Merlin…Rupe."

"Verus," greeted Giles, his eyes cold. He looked at the man behind the bars for a moment before anger suffused his being and he snarled, "Bloody hell, Severus, what were you _thinking_!"

"Of my godson and of every vow I ever made to Albus," replied the captive man. He shook his head and dropped his gaze to the floor, unable to meet the eyes of the man he'd looked up to as a child. Hell, _still_ looked up to. "It wasn't something I wanted to do, Rupe. The old coot was a nuisance, sure, and downright insane but he had my respect!"

"Which got him killed."

Xander stepped forward as his uncle started to speak again, cutting into the conversation with dark eyes flashing.

"Don't even go there, Giles," he growled. "I only agreed to let you come here if you _didn't_ accuse Uncle Sev of murdering Dumbledore in cold blood. Now that you've gone back on your word, I'm gonna nicely ask you to go outside and let family have a chat."

Giles turned a full-on Ripper glower on the young man, who didn't bat an eyelash in response. After a moment he sighed and muttered a brief apology before mounting the stairs out of the room. Xander waited until he was certain he was gone before he turned back to his uncle.

"Sorry, Unc. I was certain he wouldn't go back on his word…"

Severus shook his head and said, "Don't apologize, Xander. I deserve every bit of ridicule he decides to give me. Merlin help me, I joined the Death Eater's to get his attention after his father pulled him out of school into the Watcher's."

"You mean when he was doing the teenage rebellion thing only with black sorcery and stuff?"

The older man stared in shock and the younger grinned.

"Let's just say there were some issues with a few old pals of G-man's a while back and leave it at that."

"Oh, I bet he _adores_ that nickname," drawled Severus. Then he frowned and asked, "Seriously, Alex, what are you doing here?"

Xander winced, knowing that the time for joking was over. His uncle had been the first one to shorten his name into what it was now and Wills and Jess has taken their cue from him. When the man who had made up that name called him either by his full name or its usual shortened version he knew that either the jig was up or playtime was over. Generally both.

"Apparently your attorney thought I'd be useful in helping your case," replied the teenager as he leaned casually against a wall. "Though how the heck he found me is a good question. 'Cause I know you've never told anybody about me and Grandmother never knew."

Severus shook his head and replied, "I'll be sure to demand an answer to that out of him the next time I speak with him…which is likely to be today or tomorrow. Though I also cannot think of what use you would be in this."

"Maybe he thinks I can convince the jury you're really nothing but a big fuzzy puppy?"

"Alex…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, cut the jokes down. Sorry, Unc. All the cloak 'n dagger speak and such is giving me a serious wiggins."

A dark eyebrow arched and Severus said, "A _what?_"

"Uh, wiggins," replied Xander. "Wills came up with it. You remember her, right?"

"Your red-headed little friend? The Jewish one that babbles incessantly."

"That's my Wills."

"And what of your other friend? The boy that was always telling you I was a vampire in jest."

Xander winced at that and Severus frowned.

"Xander?" he queried, his voice dropping into a gentle octave most people wouldn't have thought he could achieve. "What happened?"

"You've heard of the Slayer, right?" asked the teenager, avoiding the question. "Y'know, She-Who-Hunts-The-Creepies-Of-The-Night?"

"All wizards hear about the Slayer at some point in time. But those of the Dark are generally the only one's that believe she actually exists. Why do you ask?"

"I've met her. I slay vampires with her. Hell, I brought her back to life via CPR when the Master tried to fulfill a prophecy that said she helped him get out of the hole he was trapped in. It was sweet to watch her take his ass out like the Slayer should."

Severus' dark eyes widened at that and he said, "Her Watcher allows this?"

Xander laughed outright at that and explained, "Uncle Sev, _Giles_ is her Watcher. And he didn't have much choice in the matter. After what happened with Jess, me 'n Wills wouldn't stay out or it."

"What happened?"

"He got turned. I took him out myself. Hurt like hell, but I did it." Xander shook his head as he added, "I couldn't let him live like that. Not with that demon inside him."

"And now you're risking your life to help a girl that doesn't need your help?"

"Guess it runs in the family, dun'it?" quipped the teenager, looking pointedly at his uncle. "Risking our lives, that is."

"At least you got into risking your life for a good reason."

"Hey, you may have gotten into it for a stupid reason but you did help people because of that."

Severus shook his head and muttered, "It wasn't enough." He looked at his nephew then and said, "Go home, Xander. If you testify in my favor, you'll never get another moment of peace again. The press will hound you like rabid dogs for being a blood relation of mine."

Xander laughed bitterly at that.

"And what makes you think I get a moment of peace at home?" he asked. "I fight vampires in my spare time, recently had a date with a life-sucking mummy, got possessed by a soldier on Halloween because of a bit of chaos magic, and then had a run-in with a demon that G-man summoned whilst in his sorcery days. Home on the Hellmouth and peace don't even run on the same tracks, Unc."

"I suppose that's the end of that then." Severus smirked – which was a shadow of it's former self, much like it's owner – and said, "You always were stubborn."

"Learned from the best."

"Indeed you did."

The sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs caused both of them to fall silent and they weren't surprised when an Auror appeared, his wand clenched in a tight fist as he glared venom at Severus. He turned that glare on Xander a moment later and growled, "Visiting time's over, kid."

The teenager bristled at the tone but only narrowed his eyes and nodded sharply at the Auror. He then turned back to his uncle and said, "I'll see you later, Unc."

Severus nodded, dark eyes focused on his nephew's face instead of the Auror's, and said, "I look forward to it. And be careful, boy."

Though the words weren't said with a bit of feeling behind them because of the presence of the Ministry officer, Xander knew that it was there. He had spent enough time around his uncle to know the man cared about him.

"I will," he promised before he mounted the stairs with the glaring Auror right behind him, wand trained on his back. As they entered the area above the cells, Giles walked over to Xander and the teenager could see the apology in his eyes before he even spoke. Holding up a hand, he cut him off before he started. "I know, G-man. No need to apologize."

The librarian blinked at him then asked, "How did you know…"

"Could see it in your eyes."

"Ah. Have you always been this observant?"

Xander nodded slightly as they entered the lift that would take them back up to the main floor of the Ministry building. He picked at a fraying string on the robes Giles had loaned him as he replied, "Uncle Sev taught me how to do it. Most people don't notice 'cause of my goof reputation."

_No, son_, thought Giles as they left the lift and headed towards the exit. _No one noticed at all._

**Author's Note**

This chapter occurs at some point during part two of _What's My Line._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it! If I did, I would be making money. _/opens wallet and moths fly out_/ No money. No ownie.

**Chapter 3**

_The Ministry of Magic _

_London, England _

_December 10, 1997_

"Name?"

Xander automatically replied, "Xander Harris."

The Ministry witch was silent for a moment then said, "Full name please."

The teenager sighed, cursing the stupid regulations he had to go through to see his uncle and that were holding up the line of people behind him trying to get into the Ministry, and said, "Alexander LaVelle Harris."

The witch went silent again then nodded and said, "Move on."

Xander moved past her into the building and immediately was confronted by one of the Auror's that guarded his uncle. The burly auburn haired man eyed him with disdain and grunted, "You again? Haven't seen enough of your murdering uncle, huh, Harris?"

His statement, spoken loud enough to reverberate through the room, made everything go quiet. Xander could feel every eye on his back and pressed back a snarl of annoyance that threatened to rise from his throat. He narrowed his eyes at the man that towered above him as his mouth twisted into a sneer that would have made his uncle proud.

"Look, buddy," he said, "I don't want any trouble. I just want to have a chat with my uncle for the measly hour you Watchdog's allow then go back to my room at the Cauldron. You don't need to be in my way and I don't need to be in yours so we technically shouldn't be having this conversation."

He went to move around the Auror but the wizard grabbed his shoulder with a growled, "Don't you walk away from me you little…_agh!_"

Xander snarled wordlessly, eyes flashing, before he leashed the hyena and focused on the arm he was steadily pulling further down behind the Auror's back. Thanks to the soldier's memories, he knew just how much pressure he could put the arm under before bones or cartilage started to snap.

"Do we have a problem?" he growled. "'Cause, you really oughta know that I could snap your arm like a toothpick right now."

The Auror grunted with pain and mumbled something Xander couldn't hear.

"What was that?"

"He said 'You wouldn't dare,' Mister Harris," piped a voice from Xander's left. He turned and saw a woman who didn't look too much older than him standing a few feet away. She looked a lot more comfortable in her robes than he did and carried a stack of books in her arms, her bushy brown hair bound at the base of her neck by a hastily tied black ribbon.

"Oh, I dare. But I'm not gonna. Y'know, show of good faith and all."

"What…good…faith?" growled out the Auror.

Xander grinned cheekily and replied, "Show of _my_ good faith that you're gonna be a good boy and not try that hard-handed cop shit with me again." He released the man's arm then and took a step back, holding his hands up at the level of his eyes as he did so, palms facing the Auror. The man turned towards him and glared before storming off, clutching his arm to his chest as he shoved past a pair of muttering old witches who snarled curses at his back.

Feeling conspicuous now and not quite sure he wasn't about to get arrested himself for assaulting an Auror, he quickly slinked off towards the lift. As he got in and started to go down, the woman from earlier jumped in with him. He looked at her for a moment then shrugged and the doors closed.

As they moved downward, Xander felt her eyes on him. After a few floors of this he fixed her with a slight glower and snapped, "Y'know, I'm really tired of being stared at so just go ahead and say something."

She seemed unnerved by his response for a moment then coughed before she spoke.

"Was what he said true?"

"About what?" growled Xander even though he had a good guess about what she was referring to.

"Your uncle," replied the woman. "Is he a murderer?"

"I dunno. Personally I think there was a reason behind it that nobody knows about. But I wasn't here when it happened so I've really got nothing to say about the matter."

"Yet you're here to see him."

"Yeah." He held out a hand then and said, "The name's Xander by the way."

The woman looked at his outstretched hand for a moment then up at him, her mud brown eyes searching his face. Apparently she found something acceptable there because she shifted her books to one arm and took his hand gingerly.

"Hermione Granger."

"Well, it's a pleasure…waitaminute. I know that name somewhere. Granger, Granger, Granger…" Xander frowned for a moment then snapped his fingers. "Ah! You're a friend of Harry Potter's!"

Hermione's eyes narrowed at that. "How do you know that?" she asked.

Xander smiled bitterly and replied, "My murdering uncle."

Her eyes widened in surprise then and she gasped, "You…you're…you're a relation to that _bastard!_"

"Be careful what words you use to describe my family," growled Xander in a near replica of his uncle's voice. "I take offense to them, even if they're applied to murderers."

Hermione flinched at his voice and pressed herself back against the side of the lift. It was hard to believe that the young man she thought was handsome and quite nice was the nephew to the bastard that had betrayed and killed Albus Dumbledore.

"I can't believe you," she hissed after a moment. "He _murdered_ Albus Dumbledore! Harry stood there and watched him do it, so there's no denying it!"

"Who said I was denying it?" he responded archly. "I never denied anything. I simply said that perhaps not all of the facts are straight – though I doubt that even if my theories correct you would listen to my uncle about it. You'd think he was lying and that Dumbledore – who I only know through my uncle, thank you very much – would never ever conspire with a _Death Eater_ over his death."

He shook his head and added, "And I bet no one ever even considered Uncle Sev did it to save his godson from doing the deed. Y'know, trying to keep the brat from dying a horrible death at old Moldywart's feet."

"Malfoy doesn't deserve it," spat Hermione.

"Why, because he was an ass to you in school? That doesn't mean he's bad and you know it. I can see it in your eyes. Hell, maybe you even think Unc and Dumbledore planned this."

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him in shock before she stammered, "How…how did you…"

"I'm observant," replied Xander. He then looked at her sharply and added, "I suspect the same thing, too. I know you probably don't think too much of my uncle but he's not really the bastard he pretends to be. It's just a mask."

They stood in silence for a moment, the only sound the humming of the lift around them, before either spoke again.

"How do I know I can trust you?" asked Hermione softly.

Xander turned and fixed her with a sharp gaze as he replied, "Do you really think that if I thought he'd done this without a reason, I would be standing by him?"

"No. You…you don't seem like the type to follow people blindly. Or stand by them when they've done something wrong without reason. I don't know why I think that but I do."

"I try not to. And I fight tooth and nail when I can to protect what I care about." He looked at her for a long moment then asked, "Your friend Harry does that according to Uncle Sev."

Hermione blinked.

"He…he told you _good_ things about Harry?"

"Like I said, what you know of my uncle is mostly a mask. And here's your floor."

"How did you know that?"

He smirked and replied, "Cells are bottom floor. This is two above. If you didn't get off before now, then this is bound to be it as the next one is where I have to check in to get down to the cells."

The lift doors opened and Hermione stared at Xander before she started to step out. As she did, a hand closed around her wrist and she turned to find his face inches from hers. Her breath caught in half fear, half surprise and she felt her cheeks grow hot in reaction to his close proximity.

He tucked a scrap of notebook paper under the cover of the topmost book in her arms and said, "That's got the number for my room at the Leaky Cauldron on it. Since this conversation doesn't seem that finished, maybe you can drop by sometime and we'll finish discussing this. I'll be here till after the trial's over."

Hermione nodded then watched him until the lift doors slid shut and it started downward again. She shook herself then and walked on towards her destination, mentally debating over whether she should go and meet him.

She knew in the back of her mind already that she would. And it wouldn't be hard at all getting to the Cauldron being as she had convinced McGonagall to let her intern under the top-most Auror research specialist in the Ministry.

**Author's Note**

Buffyverse time: after _Ted_, before _Bad Eggs_

Also, Xander/Hermione pairing? It's a possibility. Opinions?


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it! If I did, I would be making money. _/opens wallet and moths fly out_/ No money. No ownie.

**Chapter 4**

_The Leaky Cauldron _

_London, England _

_December 15, 1997_

Hermione frowned and nervously flattened her hair against the back of her neck as she stared at the door of Room 24. She then cursed under her breath and closed her eyes.

"Get a hold of yourself, girl!" she muttered. "It's just a casual meeting, nothing more. And he's not going to murder you and bury your parts in his backyard. His backyard is in America and you're in London and…oh, stuff it!"

Shaking her head, she opened her eyes and lifted her hand to knock on the door. There was a moment's scuffling then a shout from inside of, "It's open!"

Hermione slowly pushed the door open and her forehead wrinkled in curiosity as she saw Xander sitting with his back to her on an unmade bed. The other bed in the room was made and had an open suitcase sitting on top of it. Who else had come with him to visit his uncle?

Looking at the young man again, she noticed that he had his head bowed and a cell phone to his ear.

"Yes, Wills, we're fine," she heard him say, even though she was trying – and failing – not to eavesdrop. "And, yes, G-man is going to be on the flight back tonight. No, I'm not gonna be with him. 'Cause I can't leave Unc here on his lonesome. You just don't get it, Wills."

There was a pause and Xander sighed, shaking his head.

"I know I should've told you. I _know_ that. And, yes, there are magical schools at home – they tried to snare me when I was eleven. No, I'm not crazy for not going. You and Jess were more important than learning how to wave a stick and make crazy things happen. You still are. I don't _need_ magic to make a difference, Wills. I do that already. No, Giles did _not_ know before this happened. And as to why I didn't take the offer – why I _still_ wouldn't take the offer – is 'cause you guys need somebody completely human to keep you grounded. What do you mean why? You're learning Wicca, Giles is an ex black mage – no, forget that – _dark wizard_ turned Watcher and our best friend is the Vampire Slayer. Do you want me to point out the _other_ reasons why you three need somebody to ground you?"

Hermione blinked at the tail end of the conversation. Slayer? Wasn't that just a legend?

"Yeah, I know we've gotta have a talk about this. And resolve face doesn't work through the phone, Wills. I swear to you as your bestest bud it doesn't. 'Course we're still buds! Wills, we've been friends for _how long_? Yeah. You know me. I don't just up and abandon people. Yeah, like Unc."

He turned and glanced over his shoulder at Hermione, who waved slightly.

"Okay, gotta cut this short, Wills. I've got company. Okay, okay, I'll call back tonight. Right after G-man catches his flight. Thanks, Wills. 'Course I'll tell Unc you said 'hi.' And, no, I won't mention the strawberry shortcake incident to him. No power on earth will cause that tale to be told, remember? Yeah. Miss you too. Be safe. Tell Buffy I said 'hi' and make sure Deadboy stays in line. Hey, I'm just cautious! Okay. 'Bye."

Xander hung up the phone then fell back onto the bed, looking at Hermione upside down from tired brown eyes. Then they flickered with some emotion she couldn't describe but could remember seeing in Harry's eyes many times before.

"How much of that did you hear?" he asked in a steel-laced voice.

She looked at him for a moment before replying, "From where you were talking about the flight."

"Ah, so the beginning." Xander frowned for a moment then grunted, going from lying down to standing in one fluid motion. "So, any questions? I know there's gotta be something 'cause I didn't bother to do subterfuge at all during that conversation."

"Is the Slayer real?"

The young man blinked then chuckled, shaking his head.

"You could'a picked anything and you pick that question," he said, almost to himself. "What is it with you wizard folk and the Slayer?"

"You're a wizard too," pointed out Hermione.

Xander looked at her and said, "I've got the power but I don't use it. At least not on purpose. I did once set the cat on fire but that's an entirely different story." He smiled then went on, "Okay, the Slayer. What _do_ you know about her? Tell me that and we'll move on from there."

Hermione frowned, trying to remember all the ghostly Professor Binns had taught them about the Slayer in History of Magic class. They'd only briefly gone over her and the dull ghost had cast her off as a legend made up to scare the creatures of the night.

"She is a supernatural warrior called – usually during adolescence – after the previous Slayer dies. Stronger, faster, and more agile than a regular mortal, she fights the creatures of the night: the vampires, the demons, and other beasts. Only one Slayer can exist at a time and she has only her Watcher to help her, no friends, no family, nothing."

Xander looked at her for a moment then began, "Okay, first off, you sound like my history professor. It's kinda creepy."

"Is he a bore?"

"Very," he intoned seriously. Then he grinned and continued, "Anyway, you're right on a few points. The Slayer's a heck of a lot more faster than any normal person's got any right to be and she slays all the nasties of the night. The non-human one's at least. But you're wrong on the one Slayer can exist at the time thing."

She frowned and he explained, "Buffy – that's the Slayer – died a few months ago. CPR is a handy little trick to know when your friend just got drowned by the Master Vampire."

Hermione blinked then commented, "I suppose I'm wrong on her only having her Watcher for help, too."

"Definitely. Buffy's got me and Wills to help her out and Giles too. He's still stuffy but he's starting to care about the lot of us more than he should. Watcher's aren't supposed to get close to their charges, y'know. Apparently it's supposed to help incase they die, which I think is a load of BS."

"I see."

"Yeah."

"How long have you been helping her?"

Xander thought for a moment then replied, "Just over a year now. Feels like a heck of a lot longer, though."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you help her?" asked Hermione.

Brown eyes considered her for a moment then a smirk twisted the corner of his mouth.

"Why do you help _him_?"

She blinked and took an involuntary step back at the tone of his voice as he asked that. Then she frowned and grumbled, "I asked you first."

Xander laughed outright at that and said, "True enough." He then sobered as he continued, "I help her cause it's the right thing to do. Before I just knew magic existed…now I know that there are things out there a lot nastier than the human crooks. I tried to go back after I found out – but I ended up in a cemetery a few hours later and just sat, wondering how many graves were really empty because there wasn't a body to put in them anymore. After that there wasn't any going back."

"Your turn now," he chirped a moment later, grinning at her.

Hermione scowled then shook her head, saying, "I've been Harry's friend ever since…"

"Mountain troll incident," interrupted Xander. When she glared at him, he held up his hands and said, "Hey, Unc was personally impressed with how you three handled it. It's not everyday a trio of eleven-year-old's take on a fully-grown mountain troll. _I_ wouldn't have wanted to take on something like that when I was eleven."

Hermione assessed that then went back to speaking.

"As I was saying…I've been Harry's friend since Halloween of our first year at Hogwarts. At first I thought he and Ron just wanted to keep me around because I was smart, but after a little while I realized that wasn't so. Well, maybe Ron did but Harry was different. He genuinely wanted a friend and despite the things we've had to put up with since then, I wouldn't want to stand anywhere else than beside him. I'm not sure why really. He's just…"

"…your friend," finished Xander for her with a small smile. When she looked at him oddly, he said, "Not just anybody can stand next to somebody who's got a destiny like we do. And we do it for one simple reason: because they're our friends."

Hermione stared at him for a moment then smiled, nodding.

"You don't seem like the sort of person that hands out uplifting speeches," she observed a few minutes later, taking in the baggy khaki pants and blue tinted Hawaiian shirt thrown over a white tee that he was currently wearing.

Xander grinned widely at that and said, "Yeah, the goof image kinda throws everything off kilter. I like it that way. Means I can do things folks don't expect me to do." He shrugged slightly as he added, "Having an ex-spy for an uncle is kinda useful, y'know."

There was a moment of silence between them after that statement then she asked, "Did you know what he was?"

"You mean did I know he was one of Moldywart's little soldiers of doom and darkness and all that icky stuff?"

"That's not _quite_ how I'd put it," said Hermione with a barely held back chuckle, "but alright."

Xander cracked another grin at her comment then he sobered, nodding his head.

"Yeah, I knew," he said. "He actually keeps a place in Sunnydale – where I'm from – and I'd stay there with him whenever he was in town. Despite my goof nature, my family life isn't the best, y'see. I won't bore you with all the messy details of it, though."

Hermione winced at the nonchalant manner in which he spoke about it. She'd had enough practice in reading Harry that she knew he was a little embarrassed and ashamed of his family. And didn't quite know why he was telling someone who was practically a stranger such intimate details about himself.

"Anyway," he continued, not noticing her wince, "it was around the time one of the school's back home was trying to recruit me that I found out about it. A big freaking eagle owl landed at the end of my bed and let me tell you, that's a damn scary thing for an eleven-year-old to see just staring at them out of the dark in the middle of the night. Naturally I screamed and fell off the bed trying to get away from the thing, which brought Unc running to see what was wrong."

Xander smiled faintly at the memory and shook his head.

"I shocked the hell out of him with my response after I saw the thing."

When he fell silent, Hermione took a step towards him and reached out to touch his shoulder. When he looked curiously up at him at the contact, she pushed, "What did you do?"

The young man grinned at that and replied, "Gave him a hug and told him that it didn't matter to me."

His response stunned her into silence for a moment and she had to struggle with what she said next. She just couldn't get her mind around the fact that someone felt about Snape the way the young man in front of her did. Not after spending six years with him as her professor and watching him belittle nearly every soul in Hogwarts.

"He…he means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

"He's one of the two relatives I have that care about me," replied Xander. He looked up at her and said, "I know you probably can't see how but, like I've said before, you don't know the side of him that I do."

Hermione stared at him for a moment then looked down at the floor, scuffing one foot lightly.

"Then help me get to know it."

He blinked and stared at her, brown eyes wide.

"You…you're serious?"

"Yes."

Xander stared at her for a moment longer then shook his head, mumbling, "Wow. I never expected…" He then looked hard at her and pushed, "You're certain you wanna do this? 'Cause if you start liking him with all that's going on, you're gonna be alienated. Maybe even from your own friends."

That thought made Hermione falter for a moment but she shoved it aside. Harry and Ron would just have to deal with it. If Snape was really going with Dumbledore's orders…he was technically innocent of murder. Was killing under order or someone close to you who asked – who _begged_ – murder?

"I'm sure," she said then, eyes sparking with determination.

A bright smile broke across Xander's face at that and he held out a hand for her to grasp.

"Welcome to the Society of Idiots Who Think Severus Snape is Innocent, then," he quipped. She laughed and gripped his hand in hers, a smile twitching her own lips. His smile and goofy demeanor was infectious… "We now make a grand total of three people. Four, I guess, if you count Unc's lawyer, though I've never met the guy in person."

"Whose the other?" asked Hermione just as the door opened behind her. She turned and blinked as a tall, gray-haired man dressed in a rumpled looking tweed suit came into the room with a harried expression on his face.

"Xander, where on Earth did I leave those…" He noticed Hermione before he'd winced his sentence and blinked. "Ah. I see we have company."

The youth chuckled and rose, saying, "G-man, this is Hermione Granger – I ran into her in the Ministry a few days ago. Hermione, this is Rupert Giles, librarian and Watcher in his spare time."

"Xander! What on Earth are you…"

"I told her, G-man. Chill."

The Watcher stared at the young man for a moment then caused Hermione to giggle when he muttered, "Merlin save me from the youth of America." He then turned towards her and said, "I hope my young 'friend' here hasn't been too barbaric. American's can be as such at times."

"Hey!" exclaimed Xander. "I resemble that remark!"

Hermione couldn't help but giggle at that and Giles cast her an amused look that had a wary haze behind it. She noted it and couldn't fault him for it. Technically she was a stranger to both of them and truthfully knew that even Xander's apparent camaraderie with her was just his nature. They weren't really friends.

Not yet at least.

"I take it you're going somewhere, Mister Giles?" she asked as he began to move about the room, occasionally placing a object within the suitcase she'd noticed earlier.

"Back to America, I'm afraid," replied Giles. "There have been some…problems…of late that require my attention." He looked at Xander then and asked, "You wouldn't happen to know where my plane ticket went, would you?"

"It's on the dresser, G-man," replied the youth. As the older man went to retrieve it, he leaned towards Hermione and whispered, "Robots."

She blinked and turned to stare incredulously at him.

"What?"

"Robots," he repeated. "Apparently Buffy's mom was dating a robot. Her and Buffy have been having issues since then since everyone thought Buffy had killed him."

Hermione blinked slowly several times as she absorbed this information then said, "You lead a very strange life."

Xander shrugged slightly, a sheepish smile on his face.

"On the Hellmouth, nothing's strange anymore. You headin' out, G-man?"

"Yes," replied the harried looking Watcher. "And would you cease calling me that infernal nickname?"

"Sure, G-man."

Hermione covered her mouth to muffle her giggles as Giles glared at Xander. Then he sighed and spoke in a voice that carried an undertone of fatherly concern.

"Do be careful, Xander. Severus has dealt with many unsavory people in his life and any number of them could come out of the woodwork before and after this trial. Keep your eyes open and try not to get kidnapped or anything. I would greatly despise having to explain to the airport personnel why one of my bags is filled with weaponry."

The young man was halfway tempted to tell him how he'd gotten his guns and ammo over but decided again it. He waved a hand dismissively instead and said, "You've got nothin' to worry about, G-man. I'll be careful. Promise."

Giles arched an eyebrow and Xander added, "Scout's honor."

"Xander…"

"Okay, I was never a Scout but you get my point. Now shoo and go do the comfortingly Watcher thing."

"Be careful," cautioned Giles again. Then he nodded towards Hermione and mumbled, "Miss Granger," before he vanished out the door. Xander looked after him for a moment then fell back onto his bed with a grunt.

"Sheesh, I thought he'd never leave."

Hermione smiled and looked down at him, absently noting he wasn't wearing any shoes. "He cares about you."

Xander propped himself up on his elbows and said, "Yeah, I know but I can only stand so much worry."

"He's worried?"

"I'm the observant one, remember?" He frowned and added, "Yeah, he's worried. Mainly worried about how this trial's gonna go. We both know what verdict the general public gives Uncle Sev. Just kinda hope it doesn't actually happen, 'cause if it does…"

"Azkaban," whispered Hermione. Despite the fact that she still felt disdain for Snape and couldn't quite see the same man Xander saw, she wouldn't wish a moment in Azkaban prison on anyone – not even Voldemort. She's seen what that place and its guards had done to Sirius.

"Yeah…" Xander shivered then sat up, sliding one arm under his bed to snag a pair of shoes. "Okay, enough moping about. I'm hungry. You hungry?"

She smiled slightly and replied, "A little."

"Wanna go out with me?"

Hermione arched an eyebrow at the question and he smiled in response.

"Just as friends."

"Friends?"

"Yeah," replied Xander as he stood up, grinning cheekily at her. "Y'know, those people you like to hang out with a lot?"

"Isn't this awful fast to be declaring us friends?"

"I'm a pretty good judge of people and I can tell you're a good person. And you kinda remind me of Wills."

She blinked and he explained, "Willow, my best friend for years. Now, c'mon, before my stomach eats its way out of my body and goes looking for food on it's own. We wouldn't want to scare people like that, would we?"

Hermione giggled and shook her head as they walked out of the room and headed downstairs.

"No, we wouldn't. And, Xander?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're my friend.

He grinned at her and said, "It's nothing, Hermione. Now, c'mon. I saw a nice place to eat in the alley behind this place. My treat if you can help me find it."

"Okay," she said and took the arm her offered her with a smile as they reached the main floor of the Cauldron. A few who obviously knew the reason why Xander was there – rumors had been going around about him ever since the Auror had mentioned his relation to Snape in the Atrium but nothing had appeared in the paper as of yet, which was slightly worrying – glared at her but she ignored him.

They didn't know each other that well yet but she knew instinctively that she could trust him and that as long as he counted her as a friend, he'd be at her side in a moment's notice if she needed him. And for that, she'd do the same for him.

**Author's Note**

Occurs in same time period as the previous chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note**

Everything I know of trials and such comes from watching Law & Order and it's various spin-offs.

**Chapter 5 **

_The Ministry of Magic_

_London, England_

_January 14 thru 17, 1998_

"You sure you want to sit with me?" asked Xander to Hermione as they entered the already packed courtroom. He looked around them uncomfortably, observing those around him carefully. "Most of these folks don't look too happy."

"I'm not happy about it myself," said Hermione with a frown. She then touched his arm casually and continued, "But friends stand by each other, right?"

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled.

"Yeah. Thanks, Hermy."

She huffed in response to the nickname and he gave her a nudge with his elbow, saying, "Y'know you like it."

Mud brown eyes glared at him and he grinned mockingly before bowing, gesturing for her to precede him to a pair of empty seats.

"M'lady."

"Arse," she shot but there was no malice behind it. Scooting past a pair of wizards that were having a rather heated debate about the outcome of the trial, she took the seat nearest the pair as she noticed Xander's suddenly stony expression. He settled woodenly into the chair beside her and crossed his arms, the baggy sleeves of his borrowed robe pooling in his lap. She bit her lip, not knowing what to say to him, then reached out and touched his arm.

"Mmm?" he mumbled distractedly as he tilted his head toward her, his eyes fixed on the two empty tables at the fore of the room where the defendant and prosecutor would be sitting.

Hermione smiled and softly said, "If you keep scowling like that someone's going to figure out your relation before Mister Lancaster wants them to."

Xander scoffed at that but visibly tried to still his scowl. It didn't work very well but he tried.

A door behind the judge's podium opened then and nearly the entire room was on its feet, shouting in anger. Xander clenched his teeth, glaring resolutely down at his lap, as he and Hermione remained in their seats, both knowing who had just entered the room.

Several minutes later the room settled after the judge had shot something that resembled a firework out of his wand. Xander looked up then and stared grimly ahead as the trial began, absently noting that Hermione gripped his hand tightly in her own.

The days of the trial passed quickly, filled with testimony from various members of the Hogwarts staff, Auror's, and Ministry experts. When the final day came, it was time to bring out the big names.

"I call Mister Harry Potter to the stand."

Hermione made a noise at his side and Xander turned, spotting a thin but well-built young man heading for the witness stand. He was dressed in all black except for the shirt he wore under his robes, which was a dark bottle green, with his dark hair spiking in several different directions. And even from his place across the room, the Scooby could see the telltale scar that had made the youth famous.

As Harry took his place on the stand, Hermione muttered to Xander, "I didn't expect them to call Harry last. Do you…"

Xander shook his head to cut her off and patted her hand, saying, "It'll be fine."

At the front of the room, the prosecutor had begun his questioning of Harry.

"Mister Potter, do you remember the events of June 13, 1997?"

"Yes," replied Harry stonily. "Kind of hard not to."

"Could you please inform the court of what happened that night?"

Harry sighed then said, "Professor Dumbledore was killed by Severus Snape, who then escaped from the grounds with Draco Malfoy."

"And how did he die?"

The youth on the stand arched an eyebrow as though to say 'You have to ask?' then spoke.

"The Killing Curse. _Avada Kedavra._"

"That sounds so much like _abra kadabra_ it's almost funny," commented Xander under his breath to Hermione. She smiled tightly in response then they both turned their attention back to the activity at the front of the room.

"And as we all know," said the prosecutor to the room at large, "Mister Potter is the only known wizard to have survived that curse."

"Is there a point to this?" asked Gray Lancaster, Snape's lawyer, as he rose to his feet.

The judge frowned and looked at the prosecutor.

"Mister Wilkins?"

"I'm getting to it, your Honor."

"Then do it faster," said the judge, leaning back in his chair. "Continue."

Wilkins nodded then turned back to Harry, who was watching the conversation with an impassive gaze. "Mister Potter," he began, "how long have you known the defendant?"

"Since I was eleven," replied Harry.

"And what sort of interaction have the two of you had since that time?"

The dark-haired youth scowled and looked at Snape, who was staring at the tabletop in front of him.

"At the beginning I respected him as I would any of my other professors. But it soon became clear that he didn't like me and wasn't likely to begin doing so anytime in the near future."

"How odd that a professor at Hogwarts would garner a dislike for a student so soon," said Wilkins to the room. He then turned back to Harry and asked, "Did you ever discover where this dislike came from?"

"Yes. Professor Snape…"

"Mister Snape," corrected Wilkins. "All titles connected to his name were stripped from him when he fled."

Xander snarled wordlessly at that, clenching his free hand tight enough that he could feel the pressure of his fingernails starting to break skin. His title as a Master of Potions was one of the few things his uncle held dear and they took it away from him at the drop of a hat! They hadn't even done that when he'd been accused of being a _Death Eater_, for God's sake!

On the stand Harry frowned then began again. "Mister Snape," he carefully began, "went to Hogwarts at the same time as my father. Over the years I learned that they had come to dislike each other very strongly."

"And why was this?" asked Wilkins.

"They…" Harry frowned and glanced nervously at Snape before he continued. "My father and his closest friends often picked on him, embarrassing him, playing pranks on him; whatever came to mind at the time."

"So, a childhood rivalry between members of two different House's. Not so different than today, yes, Mister Potter?" Wilkins smiled coldly and said, "After all, you yourself had a rivalry with Draco Malfoy.

"No, we just didn't like each other," said Harry, looking annoyed now. "It was very different than that between my father and Snape."

Wilkins waved a hand, dismissing that, then asked, "So, Mister Snape's dislike of you came on the grounds of what? That you were your father's son?"

"As I understood it, yes."

"Hmm, hardly the behavior of a professor at a school full of impressionable children," said Wilkins, addressing the room again. "Mister Potter, would you say from your experience with Mister Snape that he is capable of killing?"

"Yes," replied Harry. His green eyes narrowed as he growled, "If you don't recall, that's the reason why we're here."

The prosecutor looked hardly put off by the annoyance of his witness and continued, "And what do you think of the rumors that Albus Dumbledore had planned this? That he had asked the defendant to kill him?"

Harry was silent for a long moment then he closed his eyes, saying, "Professor Dumbledore trusted Snape for a reason no one knew…"

"Not true," grumbled Xander, causing Hermione to look at him oddly. He smiled grimly and said, "He told me," before turning back to look at the front of the room.

"…and maybe it was a good one. Maybe not. I'm not sure what I think about those rumors as I can't see him doing such a thing but…" Harry trailed off with a distant look in his eyes then came back. He finished, "But sometimes people get pushed to do things they don't want to do."

"That doesn't answer my question, Mister Potter."

Harry blinked then sighed, saying, "I don't know what to think of those rumors."

Wilkins scowled then said, "Thank you, Mister Potter. The prosecution rests, your Honor."

The judge nodded in response then turned to Lancaster, who was already on his feet. "Mister Lancaster, your witness."

"Thank you, your Honor," said Lancaster. He walked over and leaned on the edge of the witness stand, running one hand back through his graying black hair. "Mister Potter…have you ever had any reason to doubt before the death of Albus Dumbledore that my client was not worthy of his trust in him?"

"What exactly do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Has my client ever done something to make you think that he would do something like this?"

The young man frowned then shook his head, saying, "No."

"Please elaborate," requested Lancaster.

"Well…there were times that we – me and my friends – suspected Snape of things but he always turned out to be on our side. In our first year, we thought that he was the one after the Philosopher's Stone but that it turned out to be Professor Quirrell under the influence of Voldemort." The winces all about the room at the name of the Dark Lord did not go unnoticed by Xander and he sneered. "We also thought that he'd been the one to attempt to throw me off my broom during a Quidditch match but that also turned out to be Quirrell."

"Is that all?"

"No," replied Harry with a shake of his head. "He kind of defended me when it was rumored that I was the Heir of Slytherin in second year."

Lancaster nodded then asked, "So, you would say that before the events of June 13, you had no reason to think my client would do such a thing?"

Harry bit his lip then replied, "No."

"The defense rests then."

The judge nodded then looked down at Harry, saying, "You may step down, Mister Potter. Mister Lancaster, call your next witness."

As Harry moved down from the stand to return to his seat, Lancaster said, "I call Mister Alexander Harris to the stand."

Murmurs went up at the sound of a unfamiliar name and even more as Xander stood, looking very out of place with his very worn looking Muggle clothes underneath his open robe. Hermione squeezed his hand reassuringly and he smiled at her before making his way forward.

Both Harry and Xander paused as they passed each other, eyes studying features carefully. Then Xander smiled and said, "'Scuse me," as he stepped around the other youth, making his way towards the stand. He could feel Harry's eyes on his back the entire walk and wondered what sort of reaction Hermione's friend would have when it was revealed just who he was.

As he settled into the witness seat, Lancaster stepped forward. Xander looked at him expectedly, knowing what was coming. They'd gone over it twice before after the lawyer had told him what he could expect from the prosecution. As the man had said Wilkins was probably going to be hard on him on his cross-examination, the Scooby had wanted to laugh. He'd faced vampires and demons so one little wizard wasn't going to make him go running in fear. Make him nervous as hell, yes; make him run away, hell no.

"Mister Harris," said Lancaster as he approached, causing the youth to cringe. The lawyer smiled apologetically, knowing the youth preferred to not be called that but as they were in court he'd have to deal with it. "How long have you known my client?"

Xander looked over at his uncle, who was staring right back at him, worry clear to anyone who knew how to look for it in his eyes. Then he turned back to Lancaster and replied, "Since I was around seven."

Wilkins and half the room blinked as he spoke, obviously confused as to why an American would be at the trial for a British citizen. The prosecutor rose and asked, "Your Honor, what exactly is this boy's relation to the defendant?"

"I trust Mister Lancaster is getting to that," replied the judge, frowning at the defense attorney.

Lancaster nodded as Wilkins sat then turned to Xander.

"Mister Harris, please tell the court what your relation to my client is."

Xander didn't pause as he replied sharply, "He's my father's half-brother, therefore my uncle."

Gasps and murmurs went up around the room and he was fairly certain he picked up somebody nearby whispering, "I _told you_ he looked like Snape!"

When the room died down again, Lancaster asked, "How did this occur? Forgive me, but it's fairly obvious you're American."

"No prob," said Xander. "As to how it occurred, well, y'know, there's that story about the birds and the bees…"

"Mister Harris, kindly answer the question without any rigmarole," said the judge sternly.

The Scooby winced and apologized, "Sorry. Just a bit nervous."

The judge nodded slightly then Lancaster pressed, "Please answer the question, Mister Harris."

"Alright. Granddad Harris apparently met Eileen Prince whilst here on a business trip. They were together for about two years but after my father was born, she left. Just up and vanished without a trace." Xander shrugged and continued, "Granddad came back home with a son and apparently Grandmother married Uncle Sev's father a few months later."

"And why did he contact you?"

"Most of his family is dead," replied Xander. "Pretty much the only one's left are me and my father, so I guess he wanted to see if we wanted to have anything to do with him."

Lancaster nodded and asked, "And did you?"

"I did. Can't say the same about my father."

"Why is that?"

Xander sighed and replied, "He's a Squib and he's always hated Grandmother for leaving him and Granddad to go marry someone else."

"So he knows of our world."

"Living where we do, it's kind of a requirement."

Lancaster frowned now, as Xander had never mentioned anything during their rather short conversations about where he lived in America. "And where would that be?" he asked.

Xander frowned and shifted before replying, "On a Hellmouth. Y'know, center for converging mystical energies and whatnot."

More murmurs exploded throughout the classroom and he looked around to see his uncle giving him the 'You bloody idiot' expression he knew so well. Near the back of the room he could also see Hermione's look of shock and a glance towards the other side of the room revealed her friend Harry's arched eyebrows.

"A Hellmouth…" muttered Lancaster. He gave Xander an odd look that made the young man squirm then coughed, saying, "Interesting. What exactly did you think of my client when you discovered he was related to you?"

"Does 'Thank God' get the point across?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Xander sighed and said, "Look, my family life isn't the best and the idea of having a relative that seemed to at least somewhat care how I did in life was nice." He looked around the room then as he continued, "Call him Death Eater, murderer, whatever…he's my only relative that gives a shit about me."

Lancaster frowned in silence for a moment then asked, "How many times have you seen my client since you were first introduced?"

"He's always visited at some point during the summer. Even keep's a place in town to stay at. Though since things have been heating up over here, there's been less and less time for him to make visits."

"He doesn't write to you?"

Xander shook his head, replying, "Not often. We both prefer to speak in person."

Lancaster nodded then asked, "And has he ever killed anyone that you know of?"

"Yes."

At a gasp from the room, Xander quickly amended, "But those were before Voldemort's first fall. After I know of none."

"I see. And you stand loyally by him, do you not?"

"Of course," replied the youth, turning to give his uncle a warm glance. He then fixed the room around him with a piercing gaze and continued, "I would never stand by him if I though he killed Dumbledore without a good reason."

"He had a reason!" shouted someone from the balcony. "He wanted favor with You-Know-Who!"

"And how do _you_ know that!" bellowed Xander, instantly on his feet and glaring at the accuser above him. He jabbed a finger up at the man who had gone pale now and shouted, "Were _you_ there? Can _you_ read _his_ thoughts?"

"I…I…"

"Just as I thought," snarled Xander, narrowing his eyes. "You know _nothing_. So _sit down_ and leave the adults to play, why don't you?"

"Why you little…!"

"_ORDER!_" shouted the judge, his wand letting off a loud bang as he flicked it in the air. He glared at the wizard in the balcony then turned the scathing gaze on Xander, who was still glaring at the wizard. "Another outburst like that, Mister Harris, and I'll have you thrown out. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," replied the youth in a low growl. He then turned back to Lancaster and said, "I believe that Dumbledore and my uncle had this entire thing planned…at least in some small form."

The defense attorney nodded then looked at the judge, saying, "No further questions, Your Honor."

"Very well. Mister Wilkins, your witness."

"Thank you, Your Honor," said the prosecutor as he rose. He smiled at Xander in an oily fashion, which the youth responded to with a scowl he'd copied years before from his uncle. The man looked off balance for a moment then regained it as he began his cross-examination.

"You say that you believe that the accused and Albus Dumbledore planned his death, correct?"

"Yes," replied Xander.

"Do you have anything to prove this is true?" asked Wilkins, causing a twitter from somewhere up in the balcony.

Xander glared briefly in that direction then locked eyes with Wilkins and replied, "No, I don't. But that doesn't mean that there isn't any."

The prosecutor nodded and folded his arms behind his back, studying the young man for a moment. Then he smiled and asked, "If this was planned, then why did the accused flee after performing the Killing Curse? And why did he not turn himself in during these past months?"

"His first concern would have been getting his godson to relative safety," replied the youth. "As to why he didn't turn himself in, would anyone have listened long enough to him if he'd shown himself? Or would they have fired first and asked questions later?"

"Why they would have listened to him, of cour…"

"_Bullshit!_" spat Xander, eyes flaring with anger. His hands clenched on the railing of the witness box as he snarled, "I saw the Auror's that guarded him and the contempt they held for him. If he'd shown himself to them, they'd have killed him rather than take him in!"

Wilkins smiled.

"Now you don't know that for certain, Mister Harris."

"Ask one of them. I'm certain the Auror's that captured him are around here somewhere." He smirked and added, "Have fun."

"I'm sure I will, Mister Harris," said Wilkins. "And I'm certain that they will answer in the negative."

Xander arched an eyebrow as if to say 'Oh, really?' then waited for the next question. The prosecutor looked at him for a long moment, hands clasped loosely behind his back, before he spoke again.

"Did your uncle ever tell you about his affiliations with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"No, I found out accidentally."

Wilkins nodded, saying then, "So he tried to then hide it from you…"

"Wrong," replied Xander. "I saw his Mark when I got my letter from Salem and was nearly scared to death by this gigantic bird perched at the end of my bed. He came running into my room to see what was wrong When I asked, he tried to get around telling me but I'm a stubborn kid and wouldn't let him. So he gave up the ghost and told me."

He looked around the room then, continuing, "He made a stupid mistake. Everyone's done that in their youth."

"Yes, but he has carried it on into his adulthood," said Wilkins with a smirk. "There's no excuse for that except that he wanted to continue serving the Dark Lord."

Dark eyes flashed and the youth growled, "Didn't anyone tell you, Mister Prosecutor? _No one_ leaves ole Moldywart's ranks. Not alive, at least."

"And how would you know such a thing?"

"My uncle's the guy sitting over at the defense table, remember?"

The prosecutor glared at him for a long moment then regained his composure.

"So you're saying that he had no choice in whatever he chose, aren't you?"

Xander shook his head and replied, "No, that's not what I'm saying. What I mean is that he that he had a handful of choices to make and none of them were one's that he wanted to. But he had to pick something."

Wilkins frowned and started to open his mouth then closed it quickly, turning towards the judge and saying, "The prosecution rests, your Honor."

"Very well then. Mister Harris, you may step down."

Nodding, Xander rose slowly and let the stand, meeting his uncle's dark gaze as he swept past the defense table. He then turned a dagger sharp glance onto the crowd in the courtroom, not meeting one eye but somehow managing to glare at most of them. When he reached the row where Hermione sat, the wizard on the end looked up at him and growled, "Take your filthy murderer blood and move on."

Hazel eyes darkened and for a moment a flicker of power snapped around Xander's hand in a spurt of bluish lightning. He clenched his hand then and looked away from the wizard, all of the muscles along his jaw tightening. For fear that if he even said something he might set the guy on fire (or something worse), he turned and walked completely out of the room. As he plunged through the doors, he heard feet running after him as the judge said, "The jury will now adjourn to review the evidence. Court will reconvene tomorrow for the hearing of the verdict at one in the afternoon."

The bang of the gavel echoed in his ears and he shook his head, snarling incoherently as he collapsed against the wall. A hand gently touched his shoulder then and he sprang back, the hyena spurting to the forefront briefly before he could shove it back down. Luckily he fought down the soldier's instincts first and didn't end up gripping the wrist attached to the hand and breaking it.

After a moment of leaning against the wall on one hand and finally getting control of himself, Xander looked up at Hermione and grimaced.

"Sorry."

"It's…okay," she said slowly. Then she asked, "Are you okay?"

"No," replied Xander in a low growl, a bit angry when he heard traces of an actual growl in it thanks to the hyena being so close to the surface. "I am very far from being okay, Hermy."

She nodded and looked at him for a long moment before whispering, "Are your eyes supposed to glow?"

He blinked.

"What color?"

"What?"

"What color?" repeated Xander.

Hermione frowned and said, "I just told you your eyes glow and you want to know what color?"

"Hermione, just tell me."

Heaving a sigh, she replied, "Green."

"Okay, good, I haven't become the mystical butt monkey again."

Hermione arched an eyebrow at that and before she could say anything, Xander explained, "Look, let's just leave it at that I've been possessed twice, okay?"

"Okay. Do you…oh, Harry!"

Xander turned his head slightly and grunted at the dark-haired youth standing behind him and looking at him with an expression he couldn't quite determine. Then he realized that it was Hermione that he was looking at with that expression and his innate sense to protect his friends rose to the surface.

"Quit looking at her like she just ran over your puppy," he growled darkly, glaring at the shorter young man.

Emerald eyes blinked at him then Harry scowled before turning to Hermione.

"What are you doing with him?"

"I've come with him here every day because he has no one else here," replied the young woman. She lifted her chin defiantly as she continued, "And nothing either you or Ron say will keep me from being around him."

He looked at her for a long moment in silence then threw Xander completely for a loop when a grin spread across his face and he caught Hermione in a hug.

"Oh, good," he said as he released her, smiling sheepishly. "You're not under a spell."

Hermione frowned and slapped his arm hard, making Harry wince.

"How _dare_ you insinuate such a thing!"

"I'm sorry!" exclaimed Harry, holding up his hands in case she went to hit him again. "I just…"

"You just _what!_" growled Hermione.

The Boy-Who-Lived sighed and ran a hand back through his wild hair before looking apologetically over Hermione's shoulder at Xander.

"Sorry," he said after a moment, "but I don't know you and I don't want anything to happen to Hermione."

"I understand completely," said Xander. "All of my close friend's back home are female. I don't want anything to happen to them either."

Harry nodded then took a step back when the other youth lunged towards him, grabbing the front of his robes tightly and jerking him close to his face.

"But let's get some things straight," growled Xander, this time letting the hyena out a little so his eyes flickered green and there was a true growl in his voice. "First off, I would _never_ do anything to Hermione. Second, I don't know a flicker of magic excepting a couple of spells I heard from a friend who's studying Wicca – completely different than your wand waving mumbo jumbo – so I can't possibly cast anything on her. Third, I don't give a rat's ass what you think of me or my uncle, so don't even _start_ with that. Get all that?"

"Yeah," replied Harry, looking a bit nervously now at him.

Xander nodded and let him go then turned to Hermione, face now a mask of calm.

"I think I'm gonna head back to my room at the Cauldron."

"Okay," she said. "Do you want me to come over later? We could go out and eat again."

"Not tonight, Hermy," breathed Xander. "Got too much going on in my head right now."

She nodded and gently touched his arm, smiling.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah."

With that he turned and walked off, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans and shoulders drooped. Xander frowned as he felt a gaze on his back that he knew was Harry's until he went around a corner and he sighed.

"Great impression on the girl's best friend, Harris. Just flippin' great."

Sighing, he headed for the elevator that would take him to the main floor, already planning to head to his room and hit the sack. He probably wouldn't sleep a wink but he wasn't about to move anywhere after he got to his room until the hearing of the verdict the next day.

Back in the corridor, Harry looked down at Hermione with a worried expression and asked, "Are you sure you know what you're doing, Hermione?"

"And what is _that_ supposed to me?" she snapped.

"Look, I'm not going to tell you not to continue seeing him. I…I'm just worried about what could happen to you."

Hermione sighed, her anger fading, and she reached up to touch her friend's cheek. Green eyes looked at her and she smiled gently.

"I know you're worried, Harry," she said. "But I know he's a good person."

They stood there for a long moment before he sighed.

"I trust you," he breathed. Then he looked up, his eyes hardening, and growled, "But if he hurts you, I'll…"

"I know," she said before taking his hand and leading him away from the courtroom as two Auror's escorted Snape out. Tugging Harry into the elevator, she asked, "Want to get something to eat?"

Harry smiled and nodded, replying, "Yeah, I'd like that."

Hermione smiled back then leaned her head against her friend's shoulder, because she knew that after this trial was over he and Ron were going back out to look for Voldemort's Horcruxes. And they were leaving her behind as she thought she had a lead on information about them.

"Nothing's ever going to be the same, is it?" she whispered.

Harry looked down at her for a moment then wrapped his arm around her shoulders with a sigh.

"I don't know, Hermione. I just don't know."

**Author's Note**

BtVS time is after _Bad Eggs_, thru _Surprise_ and the beginning of_ Innocence_


End file.
